Container for housing and transporting minnows



March 8, 1960 CONTAINER FOR HOUSING AND TRANSPORTING MINNOWS L. L.JOHNSON Filed Aug. 26, 1958 FIG. I.

INVENTOR, LLOYD L. JOHNSON.

BY gm .e

ATTORNEY United States Patent CONTAINER FOR HOUSING AND TRANS- PORTIN GMINNOWS Lloyd L. Johnson, Fergus Falls, Minn.

Application August 26, 1958, Serial No. 757,267

Claims. (CI. 43-56) This invention relates to a container for housingand transporting minnows used as live bait and more particularly acontainer having means therein for separating minnows from water whenthe container is inverted.

It is Well known that minnows, when used as live bait, are diflicult tograsp by hand when they are swimming in a water filled receptacle.Normally, minnow containers include a perforated receptacle housedinside of a solid water filled receptacle and the perforated receptaclemust be removed from the outer water filled container to separate theminnows from the water. This usually results in a loss of water as wellas being a nuisance factor.

With this thought in mind, this invention contemplates a container andseparator so constructed that a fisherman may house and transport aquantity of minnows in the conventional manner and upon inverting thecontainer and separating the two chambers may extract minnows asdesired.

The primary object or this invention is therefore to provide meanswithin a container so that when the container is inverted minnows willbecome separated from the water and may be readily extracted by afisherman. A second reversal of the container will deposit the minnowsback into water.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container having twochambers or compartments which may be connected to each other in sealedrelation by complementary threads or by a press fit.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a foraminouspartition in one of the chambers or compartments so that when the otherchamber is partially filled with water and a quantity of minnows and isinverted, the water will flow through the foraminous partition anddeposit the minnows on the surface of the partition after which theuppermost chamber is detached whereupon the minnows may be readilyextracted by hand.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a minnowcontainer having necessary air vents and vent closure means whereby thevents may be closed during the inverting procedure without loss ofwater.

Another object of this invention is to provide a minnow container andseparator which is simple and durable in construction, economical toproduce and may be readily transported by a fisherman.

Other features and advantages will appear from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the drawings wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of the container, portions of an uppercompartment shown broken away and showing a toraminous partitiontherein.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the centerof the new device.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the device in a separated andinverted position.

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theabove-referred to drawings, it is to be understood that they are merelyfor the purpose of illustration and ice that various changes inconstruction may be resorted to in the course of manufacture in orderthat the invention may be utilized to the best advantage according tocircumstances which may arise, without in any manner departing from thespirit and intention of the device, which is to be limited only inaccordance with the appended claims. And while there is stated theprimary field of utility of the invention, it remains obvious that itmay be employed in any other capacity wherein it may be foundapplicable.

While the drawings illustrate a container which is cylindrical in crosssection, it will be understood that any suitable shape may be utilizedand that the coupling means employed may also be a variation from thatshown in the drawings. For purposes of illustration, the invention isdepicted having a cylindrical container generally indicated by thenumeral 10 comprising an upper chamber 12 and a lower chamber 14. T hechambers are identical in dimensions having annular walls 16 and closedends 18. The container is joined together at the open ends 20 bycomplemental threads 22 disposed on the ends 20 as best shown in Figure2.

The upper chamber 12 is provided with a foraminous partition 24 which iswelded or otherwise suitably secured in the chamber 12 at a positonslightly below a horizontal center line of the chamber 12. A pluralityof air vents 26 may be disposed through the annular wall 16 of thechamber 12 and may be provided with a sliding closure panel 27 which isheld into engagement against the wall 16 by angular tracks 28 fixed tothe outside of the annular wall 16. A knob 36 is provided on the closurepanel 27 for manual manipulation of the panel.

The normal position of the container is shown in Figures 1 and 2 havinga quantity of water 32 in the lower chamber 14 together with a quantityof minnows 15. As the container is inverted to the position shown inFigure 3, the water will flow through the foraminous partition 24 andinto the chamber 12 depositing the minnows or other live bait upon thesurface of the partition 24. The chamber 14 is then detached and theminnows are extracted as desired. The chamber 14 is then attached to thechamber 12 and is inverted back to the normal position depositing thewater and minnows into the chamber 14. During the inverting procedure,the air vents are sealed ed by the closure panel and reopened to allowair to enter the container.

t is obvious that suitable handles may be provided on the exterior ofthe container.

From the foregoing specificaiton it will become apparent that theinvention disclosed will adequately accomplish the functions for whichit has been designed and in an economical manner, and that itssimplicity, accuracy, and ease of operation are such as to provide arelatively inexpensive device.

it is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the inventionafter considering the description in connection with the drawings.Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded unnecessary.

Changes in shape, size, and arrangement of details and parts such ascome within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to inactual practice, if desired.

I claim:

1. A combined minnow separator and container comprising an upperchamber, a lower chamber, said upper and lower chambers having oneclosed end and one open end, means on said open ends for connecting saidchamber in sealed relation, and a foraminous partition in said upperchamber located substantially intermediate the open and closed endsthereof whereby when said lower chamber is filled substantially halffull of liquid and a quantity of minnows and is attached to said upperchamber and whereby complete reversal of the position of the containerwill cause the liquid of the lower chamber to fill the and a'closed end,means'on'said open ends fer connecting said chambers in sealed relation,a foraminous partition located substantially intermediate the open endand closed end of said first chamber, and air vent means located 7adjacent the open end of said first chamber whereby when said secondchamber is partially filled with liquid and a quantity of minnows and isattached to said first chamber,

and when said container is inverted the liquid of said second chamberwill partially fill the first chamber, depositing the minnows on said'foraminous partition, said'sec- 0nd chamber being detachable tofacilitate removal of the minnows.

3. The structure of claim 2 and in which said chambers are cylindrical.

4. The structure of claim 2 and in which said means for connecting saidchambers together comprise complementary threads on the said'open endscfeach 'of said chambers.

5. The stnlcture of claim 2 and in which said air vent is provided withslidable closure means for closing said vents while said container is'being inverted.

References 'Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,664,854 Talbot Jan. 5, 1954

